Yankees Couldn't Have Asked For a Better Opening Day From Gary Sánchez

NEW YORK — Gary Sánchez kicked off his 2021 regular season, and bid toward resurgence in pinstripes, with a bang on Thursday afternoon. 

Not only did the Yankees catcher mash a booming two-run home run in his very first at-bat of the year, Sánchez came up big on both sides of the ball, helping to keep New York in the game. 

The backstop ambushed the first pitch he saw from Blue Jays ace Hyun Jin Ryu in the second inning, turning a 91-mph fastball into a towering fly ball destined for the seats as soon as it left his bat. 

"I've been watching it all spring. The guy looks like a different man," Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge said. "Came ready to go kind of got our offense going with the two-run homer however that was huge and he's looking really good to play."

Sánchez's two-run blast wound up being the only run-scoring play for New York, in a 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Blue Jays. Considering the home run came after Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole had allowed a run in the top of the inning, the catcher's aggressive approach at the plate and display of power couldn't have come at a better time.

"It's nice to see. Especially good to answer back," Cole said. "Came at the right time, grab the momentum back in our favor. Good swing on a good pitch. Boys were fired up."

Sánchez wasn't done after going yard. He nearly sent another one into the bleachers in his second at-bat, flying out to deep left on a 3-1 changeup below the knees. He added an infield single in the seventh inning and a walk to start the bottom of the ninth, capping off a 2-for-3 performance at the dish on Opening Day.

"It feels good to get going this way," Sánchez said after the loss through New York's interpreter. "I spoke about consistency before and I think I had that today in all the at-bats. That's definitely something that I want to keep on having throughout the other games as they come and also behind the plate as well."

Working a walk to start the bottom of the ninth was perhaps the most impressive at-bat that Sánchez had on Thursday. He took a couple close pitches, never chasing out of the confines of the strike zone even if he undoubtedly wanted to barrel one in play (since one swing could've ended the game).

Outfielder Mike Tauchman came in for Sánchez as a pinch-runner, stealing both second and third. He was thrown out attempting to score on a dribbler in the infield moments later, New York's last chance to score on offense. in the loss. 

The backstop excelled behind the plate as well, working effectively with Cole while helping out his pitchers, too. Sánchez fired a strike to second base in the bottom of the seventh, cutting down Randal Grichuk as he attempted to scamper into scoring position with right-hander Chad Green on the mound. 

"That's something I mentioned before about how I felt my spring training went and I said that it definitely felt that it my best spring training behind the plate," Sánchez said. "For me, I want to find that consistency, keep that consistency going behind the plate. I think if I'm able to do that, if I'm able to execute the way I did during spring training, I think it's going to be a good year."

It's just one game, but Sánchez's performance carries more weight due to his performance last year. The 28-year-old hit .147 with 64 strikeouts over 49 games, struggling mightily on offense at every turn. 

By the end of the year, as New York transitioned into the postseason, Sánchez had lost his gig as the Yankees' starting catcher. Backup Kyle Higashioka began to start behind the plate in his place. 

The catcher along with members of the Yankees coaching staff have spoken quite a bit about the improvements Sánchez made in the offseason and his dedication to making adjustments to his swing while working on his timing. 

What Adjustments Gary Sánchez Has Made Offensively To Rebound After Last Season

Although he slumped over the final two-to-three weeks of spring training exhibition games last month, Sánchez showed on Thursday that he's poised to take full advantage of a fresh start. 

If he can turn his performance on Opening Day into consistent production as the first few series of the season come and go, Sánchez has the potential to return to the form that fans witnessed when he first broke out in 2017 (hitting 33 home runs, making the All-Star Game and earning American League MVP votes). 

"I thought he was excellent," manager Aaron Boone said. "He was on time, recognizing the pitch. I really felt like yesterday, he had a good day's work and a really good batting practice and kind of carried that into today where really, in all of his at-bats, he was on time and dangerous."

MORE:

• Yankees' Bats Fall Flat in Loss to Blue Jays on Opening Day
• How the Yankees Are Preparing to Close Games During Aroldis Chapman's Suspension
• Brian Cashman: Yankees Have Turned Down Plenty of Calls For Mike Tauchman

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